488 A NATURALIST'S WANDERINGS. 



and Crustacea, ^Yllicll were specially handed over to me and 

 carefully bottled, A list of them is given in tlie Appendix. 



Off the north-west cape of Celebes, we passed between the 

 mainland and a broad slice of land, with small trees and stumps 

 erect on it, drifting in a north-easterly direction. x\fter 

 short calls at Macassar, at Ampanam in Lomboclc, and at 

 Baleling in Bali, we reached Surabaya on the 23rd of the 

 month. Here we had with deep regret at last to say good-bye 

 to the Da Franf a family, to whom we had been indebted for the 

 greatest possible official and private kindnesses, as it was 

 necessary for us to trans-ship for Batavia, where we arrived five 

 days later. 



We had nine days to spare before the arrival from Brisbane 

 of the mail for Europe. These were spent in the delicious 

 and salubrious air of Buitenzorg, in packing up my bulky 

 herbarium, and in the renewing of many old friendships. 



On July 9th we sailed in the British India Company's 

 mail steamer Quetta — at last homeward bound. At sundown 

 we dropped our pilot at Anjer sleeping peacefully among its 

 eocoa-nut palms, and a few hours later passed the blazing crater 

 of Ivrakatoa — scenes well known and familiar to me, of which I 

 retain many most pleasing memories ; but it was the last look 

 that was ever to be possible to me ; for, ere little more than a 

 month had passed, both were doomed to destruction. 



A study of the small maps on the preceding page will con- 

 vey some idea of the violence of the eruption, from the changes 

 that have resulted in the geography of the spot. 



On the 13th of August the Quetta reached Plymouth, and on 

 the 14th we arrived in London, transported in 75 days from 

 the make-shifts, discomforts, and rough contrivances of a rude 

 hut among half-naked savages, to all the elegances of a great 

 London hotel, with its fashionable crowd, a contrast— to me 

 certainly— too great to be comfortable or pleasant for some time 

 at least. I realised that I was more than half a barbarian, to 

 whom the restraints of civilisation had become irksome, and 

 who would have rejoiced to have been at once spirited back 

 again to his swarthy friends in the Eastern Archipelago. 



